In order to improve user comfort, novel materials, and in particular foams such as latex foams or high or low resilience foams, are being used in the field of stuffing mattresses and cushions. Nevertheless, such materials present certain drawbacks. In particular, in order to provide support that is sufficiently firm, it is preferable to use foams of relatively high density. That has negative repercussions both on the cost and on the weight of the cushion or mattress. Furthermore, such materials, and in particular closed-cell foams, do not provide significant ventilation.
In order to increase the sensation of firmness provided by a cushion or mattress, the person skilled in the art knows that a plurality of stiffener elements or inserts may be incorporated therein. Nevertheless, those elements are normally elastic elements that do not present the damping characteristics of foams.